Tour of Val Perlana, from Ossuccio

Access

From Como, drive along state road 340 'Regina' to Ossuccio and park in one of the several not-too-wide spaces upstream from the road, right at the signs for 'Madonna del Soccorso', which we will have to follow for the itinerary.

Introduction

A very worthwhile, and therefore very popular, excursion, which in an easy loop links three religious buildings well known to local popular devotion. The artistic interest is very high and the breadth of views includes the Isola Comacina, the Bellagio peninsula and as a backdrop the Grigne group. Transit is recommended with great caution after heavy snowfall.

Description

After parking, follow the abundant signs to the visible Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso, which dominates the village of Ossuccio in Sacro Monte fashion. The paved and cobbled lane climbs in hairpin bends towards the church, gradually touching the 17th-century Stations of the Cross, each populated by numerous polychrome wooden statues illustrating a specific religious episode. The main church building adds to its own interest that of a side chapel where ancient and modern votive offerings are collected. Behind the sanctuary, the lane takes a few bends into the Val Perlana proper. Leaving behind the signs for the Boffalora hut on the left, we continue along the path that has become a path; passing among a few inhabited huts, we walk for a long time through the woods, following the side valleys, always on the mountainside and climbing moderately. One also encounters a few easy fords, and when the forest thickens with larch trees, suddenly, low down on the right, one comes in sight of the Abbey of San Benedetto, an isolated masterpiece in the mountains, once the site of a Benedictine hermitage. Restoration work is proceeding slowly, but it has been secured for a few years and the current condition is appreciable. The return path continues to the north of the church until it descends to cross the stream at the bottom of the valley; on the opposite side, it climbs narrowly up to the small square of the abbey's building materials cable car. From here on, the cart track descends rapidly, following the folds of the mountain, until it exits the narrow Val Perlana above the village of Lenno. Amidst terraced olive groves, one heads towards the imposing building of the Acquafredda Abbey. From Lenno, by intuition, we cross a bridge over the Val Perlana stream in the direction of the adjacent Ossuccio, in search of the starting point of the car park.

General Information

Trail:
Signposting:Circular
Recommended period: May, June, July, August, September, October
Sun exposure: southeast
Objective Danger:none
Exposed Tracts:none
Useful Equipment:normal hiking equipment
Water: